Alex Ward (American football)

Last updated

Alex Ward
Profile
Position Long snapper
Personal information
Born (1999-04-24) April 24, 1999 (age 26)
Fort Walton Beach, Florida, U.S.
Height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight241 lb (109 kg)
Career information
High school Choctawhatchee
(Fort Walton Beach, Florida)
College UCF (2017–2022)
NFL draft 2023: undrafted
Career history
Awards and highlights
Career NFL statistics as of 2025
Games played38
Total tackles 2
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Alex Ward (born April 21, 1999) is an American professional football long snapper. He played college football for the UCF Knights and played professionally for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League.

Contents

Early life

Ward grew up in Fort Walton Beach, Florida and attended Choctawhatchee High School. [1]

College career

Ward redshirted his true freshman year at UCF and spent his redshirt freshman season as a backup long snapper. [2] As a redshirt senior, he was a finalist for the Patrick Mannelly Award. [3] Ward used the extra year of eligibility granted to college athletes due to the COVID-19 pandemic and returned to UCF for a sixth season and was a finalist for the Mannelly Award for a second straight year. [4] Ward played in 47 games over the course of his college career. [5] After the conclusion of his college career Ward played in the 2023 Senior Bowl and the 2023 Hula Bowl. [6]

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 4 in
(1.93 m)
240 lb
(109 kg)
30+38 in
(0.77 m)
9+58 in
(0.24 m)
5.06 s1.80 s2.94 s4.46 s30.0 in
(0.76 m)
9 ft 6 in
(2.90 m)
14 reps
Sources: [7] [8]

Ward was signed by the Los Angeles Rams as an undrafted free agent on April 29, 2023, shortly after the conclusion of the 2023 NFL draft. [9] [10] On August 29, 2023, the Rams announced that he had made the initial 53-man roster. [11] Ward played in 13 games during the 2023 season and participated in all 17 games in 2024.

During the 2025 season, the Rams placekicking operation was beset by numerous blocked or missed kicks, which proved crucial in a pair of early season losses. After handling snaps in the team's first eight games, Ward was inactive for the Rams' Week 10 game against San Francisco and was replaced as long snapper by veteran Jake McQuaide. One day later, on November 10, 2025, Ward was released by the Rams. [12]

References

  1. "COLLEGE FOOTBALL: UCF Knights Long Snapper Alex Ward Named Patrick Mannelly Award Semifinalist". SpaceCoastDaily.com. November 17, 2021. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  2. Helwig, Brandon (October 15, 2019). "Alex Ward steps up at snapper". Rivals.com . Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  3. "'Unless I mess up, you shouldn't know me': UCF long snapper looks to become best at his position once again". Orlando Sentinel . January 11, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  4. "UCF Knights football: 5 notes from Pro Day". Daytona Beach News-Journal . March 31, 2023. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  5. Brugler, Dane (April 21, 2023). "2023 NFL Draft player rankings: Dane Brugler breaks down the top 300 prospects". The Athletic . Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  6. "UCF's Ward begins NFL Draft process at Hula with Senior Bowl, Combine next". Orlando Sentinel . January 11, 2023. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
  7. "Alex Ward Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  8. "2023 NFL Draft Scout Alex Ward College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  9. "Rams agree to terms with 26 undrafted free agents". therams.com. May 1, 2023.
  10. "Choctawhatchee High School standout signs with Los Angeles Rams". WEARTV.com. April 29, 2023. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  11. "Rams announce initial 53-man roster for 2023 season". TheRams.com. August 29, 2023.
  12. Jackson, Stu (November 10, 2025). "Rams waive LS Alex Ward, sign LS Jake McQuaide from practice squad to active roster". TheRams.com.